Rejoicing In The Word For Christian Ladies – Get in Shape, Part 2 (April 2026)

There is an old Christian hymn that says, “Have Thine own way, Lord, Have Thine own way; Thou art the Potter, I am the clay.”

“O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith the Lord. Behold, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are ye in mine hand, O house of Israel” Jer. 18:6.

“Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker! Let the potsherd strive with the potsherds of the earth. Shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it, What makest thou? or thy work, He hath no hands?” Isa. 45:9.

The potter uses his wheel for shaping and forming. When he is pleased with the vessel’s development, he can also adjust the fire to prepare the vessel for usefulness and durability. For the Christian, suffering and trials try and change us. “That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:” 1 Pet. 1:7.

Another job of the Potter is to purge away impurities so that His purpose may be fulfilled. The furnace of affliction in the believer’s life is always for refinement and never for destruction. ^“If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work” 2 Tim. 2:21.

We are all “the work of His hands.” But what kind of shape are we in? God acknowledges all kinds of shapes when it comes to us lumps of clay… marred, broken, unfinished, surrendered, sanctified, imperfect, etc. There’s only one shape God can’t work with – the unwilling shape. No wonder the Lord speaks so strongly against the sins of pride and rebellion.

May the Lord find us each a willing vessel in His hands. “The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me: thy mercy, O Lord, endureth for ever: forsake not the works of thine own hands” Psa. 138:8. (V.K.S.)